Hotel Safety and Security: Best Practices for Guest Protection

Ensuring the safety and security of guests is paramount for any hotel. Leadership teams at successful hotels recognize the critical importance of maintaining robust security measures without compromising customer service. By employing the right tools and business practices, hotels can achieve a balance that ensures guest protection while maintaining a high standard of service. This blog post outlines best practices for implementing a comprehensive hotel safety and security program.

Balancing Security and Customer Service: Striking the right balance between customer service and security is essential for the sustained success of hotels. An effectively designed hotel security program enhances the guest experience by offering peace of mind without being obtrusive. To gauge your hotel's security performance, a comprehensive safety and security evaluation is highly recommended. This thorough assessment examines various critical aspects of hotel security, highlighting strengths, pinpointing areas needing improvement, and identifying opportunities to integrate new technologies.

Tailoring Security Measures to Your Unique Venue: Every hotel is unique, and so are its security concerns. A one-size-fits-all approach to security is often inadequate. Conducting a comprehensive hotel security assessment checklist is a vital first step in identifying vulnerabilities and how they could be exploited. This thorough evaluation considers potential threats specific to your facility, historical data on local crime and weather patterns, and other demographic information.

For example, hotels in hurricane-prone areas must be prepared for severe weather, while those in high-crime cities may require uniformed security personnel. Tailoring security measures to your hotel's unique needs ensures effective protection without unnecessary expense.

Asset Security: Protecting both hotel and guest assets is one of the most challenging aspects of hotel security. Given below are the four key areas to focus on:

1. Hotel Mobile Device Security - Radios, mobile phones, and tablets are standard issue for hotel staff. Ensure these devices are always secured when not in use. Larger hotels might benefit from deploying an intelligent asset management system to manage expensive equipment and maintain consistent transaction logging.

2. Guest Asset Security - If your hotel provides in-room safes, confirm they are all functioning correctly. Additionally, consider whether asset lockers might be useful for securing guest belongings at centrally managed locations, such as reception desks or pool areas. Some locker systems even offer electronics charging for added convenience.

3. High-Security Safes - Safes are essential for securing high-value assets that need to be signed in and out occasionally. Ensure all safes are functioning properly, securely fastened, and out of guest view. Properly store the keys or access codes to prevent unauthorized access.

4. Cash Handling Procedures - Cash collections should happen on a varied schedule to prevent predictability. Ensure that cash counting is performed in a locked space away from guests. If you use a private cash management agency, verify their license is current.

Facility Security: Securing your hotel's facilities requires a combination of technology, infrastructure, policies, and personnel. Evaluate your hotel's access control measures, vehicle security, key management, and fire protection.

1. Access Control - Create an inventory of all locks in your venue, including guest rooms and back-of-the-house spaces. Make sure to check whether all doors and windows are? secured properly. Track spare guest keys, whether your hotel uses swipe cards, proximity cards, or hard keys, and schedule reorders as needed.

2. Vehicle Security - Good lighting and sightlines are the best deterrents against vehicle-related crime. Ensure all lights are working and that sightlines are unobstructed. Secure hotel vehicles and keys when not in use, and track their usage accurately.

3. Key Management - Track and audit all key usage, including facility, vehicle, storage locker, and other locking assets. Consider implementing a smart key management system if lost or misplaced keys are common.

4. Fire Prevention - Hotels are at increased risk of fires due to their large footprint and revolving client base. Ensure fire extinguishers are correctly placed in kitchens, restaurants, guest rooms, meeting rooms, and public spaces. Implement strict protocols to prevent linen fabrics from being close to cooking areas.

Human Security: Keeping guests and employees safe requires stringent security procedures and state-of-the-art technology. Assess your venue's security staffing, evacuation procedures, and disorderly conduct procedures.

1. Security Staffing - Align security staff planning with your hotel's growth objectives. Consider whether a security contractor or in-house staff is best for your needs. Ensure all security staff are properly licensed and registered. Develop policies for handling sensitive situations, such as unattended vehicles, trespassers, suspicious packages, and the use of force.

2. Evacuation Procedures - Document your emergency action plan (EAP) and update it to reflect any recent changes in your hotel’s operations. Ensure evacuation routes and posted signage are up to date.

3. Disorderly Conduct Procedures - Prepare for unexpected surges in guests due to meetings, holiday travel, or other events. Enlist additional security personnel as needed and ensure emergency procedures are adequate for controlling evacuations of large groups.

Conclusion:

Maintaining good security while scaling up your hotel’s operations is challenging but achievable. Many hotels successfully apply new intelligent security technology and policies to longstanding problems. By regularly assessing and updating your security measures, you can create a safer, more enjoyable experience for your guests.

For business inquiries and to learn more about how we can assist with your hotel security needs, please email us at [email protected] or visit www.gdiworldwide.com .